From The Streets of NYC to The Peak of Garibaldi
by deaf
Summary: It was supposed to be a "pointless one-shot" but a few others as well as myself wanted some closure and clarity to "May Hiatus" so this is the conclusion. Some Spanish so grab a dictionary or bear with it. Personally: not quite as good as "May Hiatus."


I do not own SSX characters or concepts. There. I hope that disclaimer is efficient. I have to admit I haven't played this game in ages and I'm no good anyway. My bros can school me anytime they wanted to. This is some closure to "May Hiatus" (there's no particular order to these two "one-shots"). Oh, and I do not own Strawberry Boy/Strawberry Kid. Hopefully, you will understand the reference as you read. If you do not, look it up in a Spanish dictionary. I do not live in NYC so I wouldn't know anything about a skate park there. So if it doesn't exist, pretend it does. Anyway, Allegra's probably out of character along with Mac to some extent so, please, bear with me.

* * *

"Hey, Mac, lemme borrow some cash for some of my gear. Promise I'll pay it back. I swear."

"Why do you always have to borrow money from me? You get a check too, you know."

"But I'm a rookie so I get less zeros than you."

"And I'm a vet so of course I'm going to get more zeros than you…!"

It was a love/hate relationship.

Kinda.

Sorta.

Almost.

Whatever.

It was a special bond that only he and Allegra would share, not Kaori…but he did not dare tell either of them that. Unlike Mac, Allegra was parentless and instead of the usual orphanage, she lived on the streets of NYC as the respective urchin. She often hid her identity under a fierce and competitive attitude, baggy clothes, a hat, and several pseudonyms. It was "Al" to acquaintances but "Allie" or "Allie Cat" to her little (as in younger) street brother, Cris. She and Cris (who wheezed on occasion for he was asthmatic) looked after one another and only had each other for company. Cris, like Allegra, was "under educated" as he called it. He barely made it with phonetics and _speling_ but it was enough to get around. Neither of them could remember how they met or why they stuck together, they just did. Nevertheless, it was because of him that she came to where she was now.

Well…him and Strawberry Boy.

"Let's build a skateboard!"

"Yea? With what? plastic spoons and gum we pick from the asphalt? I don't think so."

They had been watching the kids at the park that lonely Sunday…no—for many Sundays now. However, her caustic and sarcastic reply came not from laziness, nor honor of the Day of Rest, but from sheer inferiority. _Only kids who have parents and money go there, _she would think bitterly. That and she wondered what was for lunch in the next few hours. Unfortunately for her, Cris knew her secret (her true feminine identity) and consequently knew her soft spots as well eventually persuading her to make the skateboard.

Injuries.

Infections.

Recoveries.

Death.

All passed during its creation. Time continued with life coming and going. One day the dirty duo would see some people, would make new friends and the next their new friends would be gone.

After months, both were finally able to try out the skateboard. However, something was…amiss. It was not shaped quite like the other children's, nor was it as colorful and smooth. Actually, the shape was kinda off. _Um...__Uh-oh._

Before they could hide their hideous creation from everyone in the park, something[s went horribly wrong.

1 It snowed.

2 It was too late to hide.

3 Time sped up into a blur that got lost in snow.

They looked and felt ridiculous as the other kids pointed and laughed at their slightly crooked skateboard gone obsolete by the current season. Winter was always cruel, but this one more so. Soon the children began to change their pattern of harassment from verbal to physical.

Then the Strawberry Kid came.

Allegra saw him walking towards them with fire in his eyes. She automatically questioned his dubbed name, as most kids do when there is a certain strange phenomenon no one seems to be able to explain. _Hmm._ "Strawberry Kid" or "Strawberry Boy"…Well, he was not a red head and he certainly did not look it (sweet, that is, but she would not admit it to herself until later). "Knock it off!" Strawberry Boy yelled, as he stomped his way between the victors and the victims. He was not much older than Allegra. _I've always seen him skate…Wait. What's he doing here?_

Strong shove. Deep wheeze and gasp for air. Momentum shifted from one body to another and it felt as though someone smashed her chest and back to the ground with inhuman force. But it was Cris and the bond they shared that allowed her to feel the impact. The ice froze her words and lips. Of course. The winter was cruel enough to even prevent her from defending the only family she had.

Allegra had knelt down to her brother but she would not tend to him long. In a matter of seconds, the very seconds that the Strawberry Kid bought with his scowl and scold, she jumped on to her feet and swung a bony icy numb fist at the cheek of one of the pudgy bullies giving him make-up that no amount of water (or snow) could wash off.

A brawl ensued and did not stop until a scout with a big fat "SSX•GT" pin slapped on his chest picked out Strawberry Boy from the clamoring crowd and took him away inadvertently attracting the crude, cruel, greedy children. After he sped off with the Strawberry Boy they forgot about their sick fun and dispersed—

All this while Allegra and Cris lay in the snow like meat bags wrapped in meaningfully useless cloth.

This was what drove her to the extreme and to become part of the SSX Grand Tour.

Now it was May and she followed Mac back to their "hometown" without his knowing. He did not know her then and therefore certainly did not know she was the same kid from the park all those years ago. She had just received a rude eruption of thanks when she presented him with his skateboard that he had absent-mindedly left behind. But it was always like that between them--constantly fighting, competing, bickering. Mac kinda sorta almost understood but to Allegra, she secretly admitted to herself that she started the feud (and hated admitting it).

But anyway…

She approaches a small shop, stares somewhat nostalgically at the skate park and streets beyond. She cannot stay long-she promised the other street kids a visit with food, money, and a place to stay. _Oh, and can't forget about the church and food drive. They're in motion now, too. Gotta give them a hand…_With these thoughts, she kicks open the door with exceedingly great force – just to let the proprietor know that she's arrived.

"¡Oye¡Cristobal!" She calls. Trying to remember the words she learned during her flight. "Quiero alquilar un skateboard para el parque de skate."

A young man reveals himself from the office in the back.

"¿Estás haciendo los skateboards¿Recibiste los…uh…checks?" She forgot the cognate.

"Yea, your mouth's improved, Sis. What's shakin'?"


End file.
